Speed-governor for electrical controllers.



J. H. McGURIY:

Patented July 3, I900.

SPEED aovl-znuunron ELEECTRIGAL CONTROLLERS.

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JAMES H. MOGURTY, oE JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

SPEED-GOVERNOR FOR ELECTRICAL CONTROLLERS. I

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 652,856, dated July 3, 1900.

' Application filed March 31, I900. Serial No. 10,885. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMEs H. MoG RTY,a citizen of the United States, residing'at Jersey- City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in S peed-Governors for Electrical Controllers; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to speed-governors primarily intended for use in connectionwith electrical controllers such as are employed on trolley-cars and other vehicles, one form of which is illustrated in my Patent No. 640,688 of January2, 1900; but myimprovements are applicable in connection with other similar apparatus, as will be apparent from their nature and advantages.

The objects of this invention are principally to simplify and improve the means employed for preventing too great rapidity of movement of the controller-shaft, to render the resistance to such movement instantaneous and effective, and to simplify the connections between the speed-governor and the controller-shaft.

A subordinate object is the provision of means which will permit the initial movement of the controller-shaft (to make the first contact) with the same facility as if the speedgovernor were not connected with the controller.

To accomplish these objects and to secure other and further advantages in the matters in elevation of a fragment of the upper part of an electrical controller-box of any of the ordinary forms such as are used upon streetcars, a portion of thewalls being broken out and showing my improved speedgovernor arranged for operation in connection with the controller-shaft. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the under side of the train of gears, illustrating a connection betweenthe controller-shaft and one gear, such as will permit the requisite initial movement of the shaft before the governor can be brought into action. Fig. 3 is an elevation on a scale somewhat larger than that of Fig; 1, illustrating in detail the friction-producing appliance separated from the train of'gears and from the box.

In all the figures like letters of reference wherever they occur indicate corresponding parts.

A represents the controller-shaft, the same being supplied with a crank or handle B on the outside of the box 0. As the controller may be of any variety now in use, its particular construction is not shown herein. Its purpose is to control the passage of the electrio current to the motor. As these control lers are ordinarily equipped the current is by them frequently turned on too rapidly, causing the car to jump and giving rise to other disadvantages, as now well understood. To obviate these, the movements of shaft A are automatically governed in such a way as to make the too-rapid introduction of the current impossible, and for this purpose a train ofgears is connected with the shaft A and with aifriction-producing appliance.

D is a gear mounted on shaft A, but loosely, as will be hereinafter explained, and coupled therewith, so as to receive its movement therefrom.

E is a pinion or smaller gear meshing with gear D and turning a gear F, which engages a pinion G, the latter turning still another gear H.

Gear H engages a pinion I on shaft K-that is, on the revoluble shaft of the friction-producing appliance.

By the gears and pinions so far described a slow turning of shaft A will produce a rapid revolution .of shaft K, as will be apparent. The shaft K is suitably sustained at bottom, as by an armor, and at top in a plate I), which is applied to some convenient part of the controller-box,the arm a being'sustained byaleg, as 0, attached to or forming part of said plate. On shaft K and turning therewith are a number of springs d d, three being selected for illustration,secured at bottom to the shaft, so as to revolve therewith. On each of these springs is a weight, as e, which being rapidly revolved will cause the springs to bend outward at their central parts, and the springs being connected in a suitable manner at top will draw the connection down on the shaft. Applied upon or connected with the tops of the springs is a frietion-diskf of suitable construction, and operating in conjunction with this disk is a pad or point of leather or rubber or other material, as g, sustained upon an arm h. This arm is made adjustable on leg 0, so that the pad will contact with disk fat the desired point of downward travel of the latter. For this purpose arm his supplied with a suitable set-screw, as h, and being adjusted and set the 'arm holds the pad in an unyielding position. As soon as the springs are moved the disk f descends and is brought in contact with the pad, producing friction sufiicient to prevent the possibility of shaft A beingturned more rapidly than is desirable. This particular arrangement and mounting of the friction-producing appliance is compact and convenient; but the disk mightbe mounted below the springs instead of above them, as shown, and the shaft K might be otherwise supported.

The friction producing appliance, constructed substantially as above explained, operates instantaneously to oppose its resistance to the movement of the train of gears, and increase in this movement is likewise op posed by corresponding increase in resistance more rapidly than is possible with fan-blades, which must revolve quite a little in the air before resistance can be generated by them. Moreover, the train of gears in this form of speed-governor need not be as long or contain so many elements as is necessary with the fan-blades.

Pinion E and gear F are coupled by a pawl 11, operated upon by a light spring 70, the pawl being carried by the gear and arranged to engage the teeth of the pinion when the latter is revolved in one direction, but to permit the teeth to pass without obstruction when revolved in the opposite direction. This is to enable shaft A to be freely turned without disturbing the train of gears when it is desired to shut off or turn off the current, but to insure the movement of the train when the shaft is turned in the opposite direction.

It has been found desirable to enable the shaft A to be turned a slight distance without connection with the train of gears, so that the initial admission of the current may be made instantaneously and without resistance, same as if no speed-governor had been applied. To accomplish this, the connection between shaft A and gear I) is made such that the gear will not commence to revolve until the shaft has reached a certain point. The shaft being supplied with a key, as Z, and the gear being recessed, as at m, it is plain that the gear (otherwise loosely mounted on the shaft) cannot turn until the key strikes against the wall of the recess. The recess is wide enough in comparison with the key to permit all the initial unimpeded travel that may be desired. This particular form of connection between the gear and shaft may be modified in various ways to accomplish the same result.

The pawl 11 and spring are shown as located in a depression formed in the under side of gear F; but this is not always essential.

The speed-governor being constructed and applied substantially in accordance with the foregoing explanations will be found to admirably answer all the purposes or objects of the invention hereinbefore alluded to.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a speed-governor for electrical controllers, the combination with the controllershaft, of a friction-producing appliance and a train of gears connecting the two, said appliance involving a number of springs with attached weights, arranged to operate substantially as shown and described.

2. In a speed-governor-for electrical controllers, the combination of the controllershaft, a train of gears, a governorshaft, weighted springs applied on said governorshaft, a friction-disk connected with said springs, and a friction-pad for contact with the disk, substantially as shown and described. I

3. In a speed-governor for electrical controllers, the combination with the frictiondisk operated by the weighted springs and driven by the controller-shaft, of the pad for contact with said disk, the padbeing mounted on an adjustable arm, substantially as shown and described.-

4. In a speed-governor for electrical eontrollers, the combination with the controllershaft, of the gear-wheel mounted on said shaft for communicating movement to the governor, the connection between said gear and shaft being substantially as described, to permit the shaft to be turned a trifle without disturbing the gear, for the purposes and objects named.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J AMES II. MCGURTY. lVitnesses:

O. SEDcwIcK, WORTH Oscoon. 

